The Impossible Coexistence of God and Satan in Our Hearts

One particular feature of our times, my beloved, is the coexistence of many ideas and many currents. It is actually a characteristic of our era. It is a syncretistic world;  a world that does not wish to reject the other, nor to separate itself from them, but prefers an amalgamation of all.  We thus observe a need for coexistence in all sectors - particularly the social and political ones. That is, you can exist, and I can exist – we can both coexist. I do not label you “good” or “bad”, nor do I label myself “good” or “bad”; you simply exist, and I simply exist. Consequently, since you exist and I exist - ergo, we both coexist.

And most certainly our issue at the moment is not to assert whether something is good or bad. I have but one thing to say: in the realm of faith, coexistence is unthinkable. It is so inconceivable, that the Lord Himself says that you cannot be both with God and with Satan. These two cannot coexist within your soul. Pay attention to the Lord’s words: "No-one is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will tolerate the one and despise the other. You cannot work for God and Mammon (money)."  You cannot work for God and for the devil. You cannot have two masters: God and the devil.

Thus, my beloved, we can see here that coexistence is not possible in the space of faith. Yet, despite this explicit statement by the Lord, Christians (in particular) - manage to to do what the Lord had said ("You cannot serve two masters"), by claiming that: "We can serve two masters as we see fit—as much as we want, whenever we want, and to whatever degree we desire. And in whatever proportions we deem appropriate. We might choose, for instance, to have eighty percent Satan and twenty percent God. Or the other way around: twenty percent for Satan and eighty percent for God.”

But we must understand it clearly, that when the Lord says "you cannot," the words "you cannot" are not implied as a prohibition; they were said in the sense of actual ability. You are not able to serve two masters.

It is not said here as "you are not permitted" – because naturally it is something impermissible; it simply means “you can not do it” - it is like the popular saying: "You cannot carry two watermelons under the same arm."  You simply are not able to do it.  But because we do our best to make it possible, we end up contradicting the Lord.

But can the Lord really be disproven? He cannot. And behold the end result: when an attempt is made inside the human soul for coexistence of these two masters - God and Satan - a schism of the soul ensues. And that’s when we witness that terrible phenomenon of partial or total psychopathology.

I would say, my beloved - without exaggeration or hesitation - that if mental illnesses are on the rise in our times, whatever other causes might be at play (and you might point to noise, our lifestyle, or worldly cares – as we heard in today’s Gospel reading), there is, fundamentally, one primary reason: the desire to serve two masters. This results in a fracturing of the soul.

But when we say we should not serve two masters, but must serve only one, how do we mean that?  By simply declaring "I want to serve only God; I want to be only God’s servant" does not mean I automatically find myself in God’s space. It means I must engage in a serious struggle and apply immense effort. I must not forget that I am a human being who bears the burden of ancestral sin. Within me—clinging like barnacles to a ship’s hull—are sickness, frailty, and evil; evil has become a second nature to my very being. Therefore, I must struggle. I cannot say that suddenly, in a single leap - that I found myself in God’s space. I cannot claim to have approached God. I will essentially be saying "I am moving towards...." or "I am drawing near...".  I am drawing near to what is unapproachable; I cannot claim to be perfect; I am simply on the path for becoming perfect.”

So, I struggle ... or rather... “I am on God’s side, in God’s space” means I am on a course towards God. Take note of those words: "towards God" - because many people believe that the moment they repent, they must surely have become perfect. The tragedy is the exact opposite: they come to believe they are perfect, when in reality they have fallen terribly short. To imagine that simply repenting and finding myself in a space that (I believe) is God’s - yes, God’s - I have somehow become perfect... is a terrible thing. It is terrible. It is a form of arrogance that ultimately lands me in the opposing camp—in Satan’s camp.

What is more, I may dwell in God’s space and serve Him, however there is something else I must be wary of: a "fifth column" operating within my very soul. It is the enemy. The enemy will wage war against me the moment he sees me abandoning him.  Of course the enemy does not attack me when I am his; he will attack me fixedly when I tell him: "Goodbye, my old enemy; I do not want you - I renounce you." That is when he will attack—and he will do so by every means possible.

First and foremost, there’s my own self - my old, sinful and encumbered self. Then there is the sinful world, which constantly seeks to draw me toward evil. And thirdly, there is the devil—the devil himself, who will approach to wage war against me. A Christian engaged in this spiritual struggle must be aware of this. And quite often, things go wrong; often, matters take a turn for the worse. Yet, one must not be afraid. The devil possesses three weapons, which he uses in every conceivable way: surprise, catching you unaware, and disappointment.

We could say that from a strategic standpoint, too, these are three formidable weapons of the enemy. When he sows behind the lines... what is it that he sows? He sows fear; he sows surprise. "What did the enemy do? What is this? What does this mean?" Or, even that terrible sense of disappointment that is born in the soul—the feeling that "I will not win," that "we are doomed, no matter what." These are how the enemy operates through propaganda in the political sphere; in the military sphere, too, he sows discord with his cunning. That is what the devil does, my beloved.

First of all, we must not be taken by surprise. A trial has come—the Apostle Paul speaks of this in the Epistle to the Hebrews. A trial has come. Why are you surprised? Why? Didn’t you expect it? Why are you caught off guard? The devil catches you off guard. Why are you troubled? Why do you ask, "What is this? And why has it happened to me? Have all the misfortunes befallen me?"

We tend to think, my beloved, that by being "in God’s space" means God will keep us under His constant protection, shielding us from any further harm—as if we were inside a glass jar or a bottle, with God guarding us so that nothing could ever happen to us. That is not how things are, my beloved.

"I prepared myself," says the Psalmist, "and I was not disturbed" - I have prepared myself for surprise, for sudden attacks, and for disappointment, and I remained unshaken.... Yes, but only if we prepare ourselves... If tomorrow morning, my beloved, a persecution against Christians were to break out, what would happen? How many would remain steadfast? How many would still come to Church?

But why do I speak of "persecution"? If tomorrow your father, your mother, your relative, or your neighbor mocks you because they see you making spiritual progress, the devil is again testing you, right there. Do not be caught off guard. Do not say: "I will not go to Church again because they mock me, and I cannot bear what they are doing to me."

Beloved, we must find ourselves in God’s space, but prepared. We must know how to serve God. We must not fall victim to the world, to Satan, or even to our own old selves.

So let us begin, my beloved.  Let us begin to belong solely to God. Let us not become schizophrenic people, serving both God and the devil. God alone. God alone. And only then will we truly have become children of God. Only if we cast Satan aside, and say to him: "I do not want you." Only if we put the world aside and say, "I separate my responsibilities; I have no relation with the world"…

And then we shall become children of God.

For the glory of the Holy Triune God and with immeasurable gratitude to our spiritual guide, the late Elder Athanasios Mytilineos.

Digitization and editing of the transcribed Greek homily by Eleni Linardaki, philologist

Translation: AN